Broomfield Park

Hi Dutchman I do vaguely remember the parade of shops at the bottom of Hearsall Lane, they were very new when I lived near there. I can remember Preedys now you mention it, on the corner of Melbourne Road, but I'm sure there was a lovely sweet shop in the parade. However, your memory is probably far better than mine, but I shall slap my sister for giving me duff information! I was ten when I lived in Hearsall Lane, and she was five, but she remembers many things elsewhere that I have long forgotten.

Hi Janey Indeed there was a sweet shop in the middle of the parade. It was the kind where a little old lady had to use stepladders to fetch a jar of sweets down from a top shelf and then weigh them out on the counter. I made her day once by walking in during a winter blizzard and asking her for large block of vanilla ice cream. Planning records say it was a cafe until 1975 but I can't remember there ever being a cafe in that location? Planning records are often completely wrong.

In the row of shops opposite the Black Horse there was a chemist shop with a display of bits and pieces of items used by the amateur chemist. Test tubes, pipettes, flasks etc which we would buy on our way home from Cov Junior Tec in the late 40's.

That was W.H.Green Tekmelf I think they had branches all over Coventry?

The sweet shop in the parade of shops at the bottom of Hearsall Lane was owned by a family called Harrington. In the early 60's next door was a launderette then a bookmakers. I remember the cafe in the 70's, it may have been where the launderette used to be. We always called the park Butts Park or the Black Pad because of the black asphalt that had the swing etc.

Thanks for that John and welcome to the forum

Nearby in Spon End was a greengrocery run by a family of the same name - Harrington

I remember that as well. A lad I went to school with was related to the people who owned both shops, he was very popular when he brought sweets to school.

Thank you Dutchman for your welcome. Just discovered this forum when I was looking for pictures of Spon End arches, to help my grandson with a school project. I enjoy reading peoples memories of Coventry, particularly the Spon End- Earlsdon topics, as this is where I was born and bred. Keep up the the great work.

Hi all Back from my lovely hols. As it's mentioned here, a rare shot of Sovereign Place. As Dutchman mentioned earlier in this thread, the 'Place' was the row going off to the left so it's interesting to note the road sign which is facing 'Butts Rd'.